Do We Take it For Granted?

Kimberly ~ safety is so important for all of us in homes and neighborhoods that we're not familiar with.  Thanks for posting these great reminders!

Kimberly:  These were some great tips!  I presently don't stage with cutlery!

This is confirmation! I was just having a conversation about this topic this morning with a friend. He is very concerned about my safety since we just heard about a Realtor that was robbed ( by gunpoint) while showing a property.

As a stager, I check on my vacant properties. Before entering the house, I always ring the doorbell and wait and listen. If there were a burglar inside (yes, they really do break into vacant homes!), he would probably run out the back instead of wanting to confront someone. Better to let them run, than to be confronted by someone who feels trapped and could hurt you to get out. I always say: be aware, so you don't have to be afraid. Stay safe everyone. 

Recently I was staging a vacant house in a lovely area surrounded by hills. My cell phone connection? Zero. Zip. Nada. While blanancing up on a ladder one evening by myself, it occurred to me that if I fell, for instance, nobody knew where I was or how to reach me...much less for me to be able to dial from my cell phone for help. I was relieved to find a land-line in the kitchen with a working dialtone. But it was a reminder to let others know where I was and how long I was expected to be there.

Thanks for the important reminders, Kimberly!

Alot of my clients have found that our 3D floor plans that can viewed online of listings cut down on showings, especially showings to people that are notinterested in the home and that could potentially be dangerous.  We also provide a service that digitally stages a home by using 3D technology.  Thus takes out the threat of staging with anything tangible that could be harmful.

Jason DYkstra

Kimberly-great ideas and reminders. I always cringe when I go into a home with a realtor and he/she leaves the key in the door. I always take the key with me and immediately lock the door as soon as I'm inside.

I also instruct clients to place the knife blocks out of site, whenever working with people who will be living in their homes while on the market.

Another idea, although not so much a safety factor is that when I have a key to the home, I put it on a stretchy armband that stays on my arm the entire time I'm in the home. Hearing horror stories of being accidentally locked outside prompted me to adopt this strategy early on!